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As a personal injury attorney in San Diego one of the most common questions I hear from both current clients as well as prospective clients is will their auto insurance rates will increase if they have been in an car accident.

If you have been in a car accident that was not your fault your rates will not increase due to the accident. This is set forth by statute quite clearly in existing California law. If the accident was partially your fault then your insurance company is authorized to increase your auto insurance rates even if the car accident was primarily caused by the other car. Obviously, nothing prevents the insurance company from raising your rates for reasons other than your auto collision.

The foregoing holds true even if there was no injury sustained by anyone in the accident. In the same way as an insurance company can, and probably will, increase your car insurance rates if you have a moving violation traffic ticket they will almost certainly raise your car insurance rates if there has been a car accident that was even partially your fault.

If you have suffered an injury in a car accident that was not your fault, or if you suffered an injury in an auto accident that was due at least partially to the fault of the other car it is essential that you are represented by a competent and experienced auto accident lawyer. Elsewhere in this blog the necessity of retaining an aggressive personal injury attorney who will fight to insure that you are fully compensated and your rights are protected is explored in great detail. It is also essential to have a capable lawyer in your corner to see to it that everything is done to prove that the accident was not your fault as your future insurance rates will hinge on this determination

It is part of legal folklore that "the person who acts as his own attorney has a fool for a client." Personal injury cases, even those arising out of car accidents, can raise complex legal issues that would not even be recognized by the layman.